Press Releases 2015

METRO Launches its Development Program for Regional Products at its Laurentians Stores

MONTREAL, September 3, 2015 - Metro is pleased to announce that some 80 new products from 12 agro-food Laurentians suppliers are making their debut today in 18 of the region’s Metro and Super C stores.

Metro’s Local Purchasing Policy is aimed at offering as many regional products as possible on the shelves of its network of stores and to increase their visibility, in order to meet the demand of customers, who more than ever are seeking out products from Quebec and from their region. It is also intended to assist suppliers in their business development efforts among Quebecers as part of a large chain.

Thanks to the cooperation of the Table de concertation agroalimentaire des Laurentides, a regional tour was organized during which the purchasing team met with suppliers who are interested and in a position to sell their products at Metro, in order to discuss their products, their labelling, their prices, their merchandising, etc. This process has resulted in several local suppliers being discovered and in assisting them in their efforts leading to their products making it onto the shelves of Metro stores.

“I would like to point out the efforts that Metro has made in order to make it easier to get products from the region onto its shelves and to make them shine, including providing them with a choice spot in-store and by supporting food companies in their efforts. This project with Metro allows participating farmers to develop their business, which benefits the economic activity of the entire region”, said Aline Mondou, Coordinator, Table de concertation agroalimentaire des Laurentides.

“Our goal is to increase the in-store presence of a distinctive selection of products grown in a region, at a competitive price for our clientele. To do so, we don’t hesitate to provide personalized support to each one of those partner-suppliers” said Christian Bourbonnière, Senior Vice President, Quebec Division, for Metro. “Benefiting from their experience and equipped with better tools, businesses that want to grow with Metro see their development increase rapidly, with some even moving on to distributing throughout the network.”

Launched in May of 2013, Metro’s Local Purchasing Policy rests on three guiding principles and is aimed at making Metro a prime showcase for regional products; a privileged partner of Aliments du Québec; the main ally of innovative Quebec suppliers. So far, the implementation of the program in Lanaudière, Chaudière-Appalaches, Centre-du-Québec, Estrie, the Lower St. Lawrence and Outaouais has enabled more than 733 new fresh and grocery products from 115 suppliers to make their debut in Metro stores in their region. Metro’s Local Purchasing Policy can be viewed on Metro’s website. The 2015 Corporate Responsibility Update is available at metro.ca/responsibility.

METRO INC.With annual sales of over $ 11 billion and over 65,000 employees, METRO INC. is a leader in the food and pharmaceutical sectors in Québec and Ontario, where it operates a network of more than 600 food stores under several banners including Metro, Metro Plus, Super C and Food Basics, as well as over 250 drugstores under the Brunet, Metro Pharmacy and Drug Basics banners.